Interested to know more about the Trail?
Pick up a free copy of the Toa Payoh Trail Guide at our offices or the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange.
TP Trail Registration Form for all HDB Residents staying at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.
Landmarks (Click to view details & photo!)
[1] Chung Hwa Free Clinic
[2] Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery
[3] Mosque Muhajirin
[4] Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple
[5] Toa Payoh Town Garden
[6] Toa Payoh Town Centre
[7] Tree Shrine
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The establishment of Chung
Hwa Free Clinic is a milestone in the history of Chinese medical practice in Singapore.
The clinic was founded in 1953 at Telok Ayer Street to provide free Chinese medical
consultation and treatment for residents of all ages and races. To cater to the
needs of modern society, a new system to increase the standards of treatment, education,
research and developement was necessary. To achieve this, the association decided
to open a modernised Chinese medical hospital at Toa Payoh in 1971.
View a series of paintings on the second floor that inks down the charitable donations and fund raising activities that took place in 1971 which helped built the clinic. |
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Established in the year 1898, this century-old Monastery is the oldest in Singapore. Due to its rich historical and architectural value, Shuang Lin Monastery was gazetted as a national monument in 1980.
Stroll through the two 9.1m tall Feature Gates into a picturesque setting. As you enter the splendidly decorated Main Entrance, be prepared to be enchanted by the magnificence of the three main halls: Hall of Celestial Kings, Mahavira Hall and Dharma Hall. No tour will be complete without a visit to the majestic Dragon Light Pagoda. This seven-storey is constructed entirely of granite and reaches a breathtaking height of 29m above ground. |
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We shall begin the trail with one of the most significant mosques in Singapore. Situated at the edge of the Toa Payoh North, the huge brown dome and single minaret of Muhajirin Mosque stands out proudly in the neighbourhood. It lays claim to being the first new-generation mosque built through the Mosque Buding Fund (MBF) in the 1970s.
During that time, Muslims were being resettled from their villages into brand-new HDB flats in Toa Payoh. Without a mosque to call their own, the Government then proposed the scheme(MBF) in 1975 to help the community build the mosque in the new housing estate. Contributions from Malay Muslims also helped in the building of the mosque. In fact, the upkeep and maintainance of the mosque today depends solely from such contributions. |
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Next along the trail is a visit to one of the oldest Indian temples in Singapore. The temple, whose history dates back a hundred years or so houses the main diety Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman and others such as Vinyagar, Murugan with his consorts Valli and Deivanai. According to memories of older Hindus, the Toa Payoh location was its fourth, despite the relocations the grandeur of the temple still remains undiminished.
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The Town Garden was popular with couples in the 70s for their wedding photography.
Despite the pressure on land for housing, this garden was the result of an enlightened decision by the HDB in the early 70s, to allocate a large area of the New Town for a landscaped park. At the heart of the garden is a 0.8 hectares carp pond, which contains a waterfall and a cluster of islands linked by bridges. The islands are skillfully arranged to give you a 27m viewing tower that has become one of the significant landmark in Toa Payoh. |
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Explore the first L-shaped shopping mall built in the 1960s. In the 1920s, Toa Payoh was a vast stretch of swampy land with vegetable farms, fishponds and dwelling huts. It was a notorious squatter district then; until the early 1960s when the squatters moved out and clearing work was able to commence. That was when the redevelopment started. Toa Payoh was the first prototype town centre in Singapore.
Visit some of the shops in the mall with a long-standing history. From Mama shops selling sundries, retail shops selling fashion apparels to coffeeshops selling famous local delights, you will enjoy good food and plenty of shopping! |
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The Trail ends at this unique Chinese shrine. Set under an old tree, the shrine is located at one end of the pedestrian mall. Legend has it that in the early 1960s, when the land had to be cleared to make way for the New Town, an enginner who attempted to remove the tree was crushed to death under his very own vehicle! This tree was hence believed to be spiritual. After praying to this tree spirit for several years, the residents established a little shrine under the tree in 1969, with their offerings.
Today, the shrine is well protected by the roots of the formidable old tree.
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